Bipartisan Bill Aims To Help Military Veterans Get Their Wings

The legislation would allocate flight training grants to establish a pathway for veterans to become commercial airline pilots.

Amelia Walsh

Monday, March 13, 2023 at 11:39 AM ET

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What skills and knowledge do pilots master to obtain the CFII, and how long does it take? [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The bipartisan American Aviator Act of 2023 has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate, proposing a federal grant program to help veterans become commercial airline pilots.
Modeled after a successful research initiative, the Act aims to ease financial burdens for veterans pursuing flight training by allocating $5 million annually for five years in competitive grants to eligible flight schools.
This legislation serves a dual purpose: supporting veterans in transitioning to high-demand civilian careers and addressing the critical, industry-wide shortage of commercial airline pilots.

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A bipartisan bill that would create a pathway for veterans to become commercial airline pilots has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate.

On March 10, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) unveiled their American Aviator Act of 2023, which builds off of the Forces to Flyers research initiative—a three-year study conducted in response to the airline pilot shortage, and was begun in 2017.